Greater Manchester Combined Authority has signed an eight-year extension to its waste and recycling contracts with SUEZ recycling and recovery UK worth over £1 billion.
The largest waste disposal authority in the United Kingdom Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) signed an initial 7-year contract with SUEZ in 2019. With this extension, SUEZ will provide waste management services until 2034.
SUEZ said it has managed over 1 million tonnes of waste every year across nine Greater Manchester boroughs since 2019. Under the extended contracts, SUEZ will continue to work with GMCA and the nine waste collection authorities.
In the coming months, SUEZ said Greater Manchester residents will be able to recycle more materials in their household collections such as pots, tubs and trays.
There will also be a significant investment to upgrade the energy-from-waste facility at Raikes Lane in Bolton to both improve its environmental performance and optimise its efficiency, SUEZ said.
We are delighted to extend our contracts with GMCA, the UK’s largest waste disposal authority, to support them in their transition to a more circular economy.
Sabrina Soussan, Chairman and CEO of SUEZ, commented: “We are delighted to extend our contracts with GMCA, the UK’s largest waste disposal authority, to support them in their transition to a more circular economy.
“GMCA’s decision to strengthen its collaboration with SUEZ is a sign of the long-term trust we’ve built. It underlines SUEZ’s commitment to creating economic and social value for our customers and the communities where we operate, through our innovative and resilient solutions.”
SUEZ said it has increased the recycling rate across the Authority’s 20 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) from 35% to 58% since 2019. The overall percentage of waste diverted from landfill in Greater Manchester is more than 99%.
The “first of its kind” Renew Hub, and the network of Renew shops, have diverted more than 260,000 individual items to reuse, raising more than £1 million for charitable causes across Greater Manchester, SUEZ said.
38 apprenticeships have been created by the contract so far with roles including recycling operatives, welders, electricians and two new furniture restorers at the Renew Hub.
In the first 5 years of the contract, SUEZ said it planted 1,498 trees with City of Trees, donated over 350 tonnes of compost to community groups and has taken a range of actions to improve biodiversity across Greater Manchester’s waste sites.
Reacting to the new contract, Caroline Simpson, Group Chief Executive of GMCA, said: “I am delighted that the GMCA contracts for waste management with SUEZ have been extended.
“Under our unique devolution deal, we are making sure that these contracts push the boundaries on delivery of social value for the city region through public sector procurement, developing a model that is seen as best practice nationally.
“Waste management in the UK faces several challenges in the future from major policy reform and I have every confidence that GMCA and SUEZ are well placed to meet those challenges and to continue to provide excellent waste management services for our residents.”
